Today in class during our discussion of Fredric Jameson, we talked about the term “nostalgia.” We started out by defining nostalgia as a wishful longing for the past. This is the dictionary definition of nostalgia and what most people think of when they think of nostalgia. Jameson has a different approach to nostalgia and creates the idea of “present nostalgia.” Present nostalgia means that a person feels as if something is missing in the present. They are nostalgic for the thing that is missing. When thinking of the common definition of nostalgia, the media can create nostalgia for past places even if they have not been experienced by someone personally. An example that I brought up during class was Little House on the Prairie. When I was younger, I watched the show and read all of the books. I wished to be able to experience living back then. I was nostalgic for a past time period that I had not personally experienced, but wished to. The media creates nostalgia for the past, but also for the present. The media can make people nostalgic for the present by showing people what is missing from their lives. This is especially true of social media influencers. They present their lives as being perfect because of the material things they promote online. They come across as saying that if people just wear this or have this thing then their lives will improve. They make people think that material things are missing from their present lives and make them nostalgic for these material objects said to improve their lives. I have definitely had experiences where I think my life will improve if I mirror the lifestyle of an influencer. I believe what most people do not understand is that social media influencers only show us what they want us to see. They are not perfect because of the material objects they promote. We need to recognize this and not continuously become nostalgic for their lifestyles. We need to learn to be present without always wishing for something more or believing something is missing. It is okay to be nostalgic every once in a while, but it should not be a daily occurrence or people will never enjoy life.
This makes me wonder if its possible to have “future nostalgia” (unrelated to the Dua Lipa album) as well. Things like retrofuturism, where past visions of the future are repurposed, and wondering about what your life would be like if you took a different path might fall under this category. I suppose these are similar to “present nostalgia,” but I think I am speaking more about predictions that failed to come true rather than a past that never existed.
ReplyDeleteI can see this “future nostalgia” in a lot of new products that have come out lately; take, for instance, the much derided design of the PS5. Compared to its competitor, the Xbox Series X, which is literally a black box, it takes a curved design with a white shell and blue and black accents. This harkens back to Y2K design sensibilities and the hope of a peaceful, connected world due to the proliferation of the internet. The first PlayStation is probably closer in design to the Xbox Series X than the PS5, but Sony isn’t trying to keep their hardware design sensibilities consistent this time. When the first PlayStation was released, the video game world was certainly a place full of possibility, controversy, and everything in between. Though there are still a few spots of controversy here and there (like Gamergate and the horrific overtime game developers at AAA studios work), it’s not the same as the controversies of pixelated blood and sex (in fact, having explicit content like this in a game is a sign of maturity now, instead of B-grade schlock). Video games are just a regular part of the entertainment landscape, with AAA game studios being the equivalent of blockbuster movies. The wonder from the days of the PlayStation is gone, but with the PS5, Sony, like many brands that have adopted retrofuturist imagery, is almost telling you that it hopes to recapture the promises of the 90s.
This nostalgia when unrecognized may be the root of some of the self confidence issues that young children have experienced when being exposed to social media. They want for what they see expressed in others lives and what is not reflected within their own. As college aged people we may feel susceptible to these nostalgic cravings and we may even feed into them by creating our own social media spheres. But I think that it is important to think about the effects on the mindsets of children who are exploring the internet as they are developing their personalities and what longterm effects it may have on them to constantly be nostalgic for lifestyles that are realistically unachievable.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to note as you have, that social media influencers are only human at the end of the day and are not as perfect as they portray themselves to be and I hope that that becomes a message that is conveyed more often.
AGA, your connection of Jameson’s “present nostalgia” to social media influencers is very powerful and relatable. Instagram is a platform that has transformed into one dominated by influencers. Influencers get paid to present the most perfect lifestyle on their page to make the products they promote look as appealing as possible. However, as you noted, this can lead to a “present nostalgia.” The influencers’ followers long to live the life portrayed on their feed and miss out on or dismiss their own real life experiences. The influencers themselves are also suffering from this present nostalgia. With a pressure to keep their brand interesting and relevant, they must capture any and every good moment they experience. For example, if an influencer goes on vacation, every second must be captured and shared. This is not living! Social media has created an environment where people are either longing for something they don't have or capturing, editing, and posting any good thing they do have.
ReplyDeleteWhile on the subject of social media, I think it is important to note the commodification of users. Has anyone else noticed that the notifications tab on Instagram has changed to a shopping tab? Instagram is turning into an online shopping app before our eyes. Advertisements are littered into almost every post on the platform. For example, I am a vegetarian and follow several vegetarian cooking accounts to get ideas for recipes. However, recently I’ve noticed that almost all recipes are controlled by sponsorships. The ingredients and even the tools influencers use to cook the food are all sponsored by major corporations. This makes me think of Horkheimer and Adorno’s argument that choice is sold to us as a type of freedom. While I have the “freedom” to follow whatever account I like, I still am being influenced by advertisements.